Why We Built About New Sudoku
Sudoku has been a beloved brain-training puzzle for decades, captivating millions with its elegant simplicity and satisfying logic. Yet most online Sudoku games are cluttered with ads, require downloads, or force you to create accounts just to play. We believed there was room for something better - a clean, fast, and completely free Sudoku experience that respects your time and privacy.
That's why we created About New Sudoku. With over 86,000 puzzles across four difficulty levels (featuring 76,000+ unique grids), you'll never run out of challenges. Whether you're a beginner looking to learn or an expert seeking a mental workout, we've got you covered.
What Makes About New Sudoku Special
- 🧩 86,000+ Puzzles - Massive library with 76,000+ unique grids across Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert levels
- ⏱️ Built-in Timer - Track your solving time and improve your speed
- 🏆 Monthly Challenges - Compete with others on the same puzzle each month
- 💡 Smart Hints - Get help when you're stuck without revealing the entire solution
- 📱 Mobile Friendly - Play on any device with our responsive design
- 💾 Auto-Save - Never lose your progress - games save automatically
Understanding Sudoku
Sudoku is a logic-based number placement puzzle that originated in Japan in the 1980s, though its mathematical roots trace back to 18th-century Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler and his work on Latin squares. The name "Sudoku" is Japanese for "single number" - reflecting the puzzle's core rule that each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 box.
The standard Sudoku grid is 9x9, divided into nine 3x3 boxes. Some cells are pre-filled with numbers (called "givens"), and your task is to fill in the remaining cells using numbers 1-9 while following three simple rules:
- Each row must contain all numbers from 1 to 9 exactly once
- Each column must contain all numbers from 1 to 9 exactly once
- Each 3x3 box must contain all numbers from 1 to 9 exactly once
No mathematics is required - just pure logical deduction. This elegant simplicity is what makes Sudoku so universally appealing across cultures and age groups.
Difficulty Levels Explained
Our puzzles are categorized into four difficulty levels based on the number of given numbers and the solving techniques required:
Easy (41-51 given numbers)
Perfect for beginners or when you want a relaxing puzzle session. Easy puzzles can be solved using only basic techniques like scanning for singles - looking for cells where only one number is possible. Most players complete these in 5-10 minutes.
Medium (31-40 given numbers)
A step up that requires more careful attention. You'll need to use techniques like naked pairs (finding two cells in a row/column/box that can only contain the same two numbers) and pointing pairs. Expect 10-20 minutes for completion.
Hard (26-30 given numbers)
These puzzles demand advanced techniques like X-Wing patterns and hidden triples. They're designed to challenge experienced players and typically take 20-40 minutes to solve.
Expert (fewer than 26 given numbers)
The ultimate test of your Sudoku skills. Expert puzzles may require techniques like Swordfish, XY-Wing, and chains. Even skilled solvers might spend 30-60 minutes on these brain-busters.
Monthly Challenge: Compete Globally
Every month, we select a special Hard-level puzzle as our Monthly Challenge. Everyone who plays the challenge works on the exact same puzzle, creating a level playing field for competition. Your best time is recorded on our leaderboard, where you can see how you stack up against players from around the world.
The Monthly Challenge resets on the first day of each month, giving everyone a fresh start. It's a great way to:
- Compare your skills with other players
- Track your improvement month over month
- Add a competitive element to your Sudoku practice
- Stay motivated with regular goals
You can play the Monthly Challenge without creating an account - but registering allows your name to appear on the leaderboard instead of showing as "Anonymous".
Tips for Better Sudoku Solving
Start with the Obvious
Before diving into complex techniques, scan the entire grid for cells where only one number is possible. Look for rows, columns, or boxes that are nearly complete - these often reveal easy fills.
Use the Numbers, Not the Grid
Instead of looking at each empty cell and wondering what goes there, try looking at each number (1-9) and asking "where can this number go in this row/column/box?" This approach often reveals placements you'd miss otherwise.
Work with Pencil Marks
For harder puzzles, note down possible candidates in each cell. Our Pencil Marks feature (coming soon) will make this even easier. Keeping track of possibilities helps you spot patterns and eliminations.
Don't Guess
Every Sudoku puzzle has exactly one solution that can be reached through pure logic. If you find yourself wanting to guess, step back and look for techniques you might have missed. Guessing leads to contradictions and frustration.
Take Breaks
Stuck on a puzzle? Walk away for a few minutes. Your brain continues processing in the background, and you'll often spot the solution immediately when you return with fresh eyes.
The Mathematics Behind Sudoku
Here's a mind-bending fact: there are exactly 6,670,903,752,021,072,936,960 valid Sudoku solutions - that's 6.67 sextillion unique completed grids! Even if you solved one puzzle every second, it would take over 211 billion years to complete them all.
Our library of 76,000+ unique grids represents just 0.000000001% of all possibilities - but it's more than enough puzzles for several lifetimes of play. And we're adding new puzzles every day!
The Science of Sudoku
Beyond being fun, Sudoku offers genuine cognitive benefits. Research has shown that regular puzzle-solving can help maintain mental sharpness and may contribute to cognitive health as we age. While no puzzle can prevent conditions like dementia, keeping your brain active through logical exercises is part of a healthy lifestyle.
Sudoku specifically exercises:
- Working Memory - Holding multiple possibilities in mind while solving
- Pattern Recognition - Spotting number patterns and relationships
- Logical Deduction - Drawing conclusions from given information
- Focus and Concentration - Maintaining attention on a complex task
Coming Soon: Pro Features
We're working on exciting Pro features for power users and website owners:
Embeddable Widget
Want to add Sudoku to your own website? Our upcoming Pro plan will include a customizable JavaScript widget that you can embed anywhere. Perfect for gaming sites, news portals, educational platforms, or any website that wants to offer engaging content to visitors.
The widget will include:
- Customizable themes to match your site's design
- Your own branding options
- API access for advanced integrations
- Analytics to track player engagement
Additional Features
- Pencil marks for noting candidates
- Undo/Redo for correcting mistakes
- Statistics tracking across all your games
- Custom puzzle generation
Play for Free, Forever
About New Sudoku is and always will be free to play. No ads, no account required, no limits on puzzles. We believe everyone deserves access to quality brain training without barriers.
- ✅ Unlimited puzzles across all difficulty levels
- ✅ No registration required - just start playing
- ✅ No advertisements - focus on your puzzle
- ✅ Works offline - your current game saves locally
Your Privacy Matters
We take privacy seriously. About New Sudoku:
- Doesn't track your gameplay for advertising
- Doesn't require personal information to play
- Saves your progress locally in your browser
- Only stores data on our servers if you choose to participate in challenges while logged in
Have feedback or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you. Contact us and let us know how we can make About New Sudoku even better.
Enjoying the game? Consider sharing it with friends who love puzzles. The more people playing, the more competitive our Monthly Challenges become!